Have you ever seen a ghost? Spoken with a dead person? Had an out-of-body experience? These are just a few commonly reported experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" and thus, are inconsistent with the world as understood through empirical observation combined with scientific methodology. In short, these are paranormal experiences.

According to Professor Richard Wiseman, between 40 and 50 percent of people in the U.K. claim to have had a paranormal experience. In the U.S., it's between 80 and 90 percent. Those are some really stunning numbers, in my opinion, which leads to the question; why are paranormal experiences so common and so universal? In his latest book, Paranormality: Why we see what isn't there [Amazon UK; Amazon US], Professor Wiseman, a sceptic and former magician, explores how everyday experiences can take on a whimsical quality that blur the boundaries of reality. But instead of sounding professorial or wagging a finger at his readers for being so easily hoodwinked, Wiseman's childlike enthusiasm for understanding the many ways that the human brain can be misled combined with his conversational tone both charms and educates.

Apparently, paranormal experiences are part of the human condition. The human brain is evolutionarily hardwired to detect patterns, and in fact, it is thought that pattern detection was positively related to increased survival in our ancestors. We also know that some people are naturally better at seeing patterns than are others. But under some circumstances, this pattern-detecting ability goes into overdrive, so people may see patterns where none exist. Further, scientists have found that people who are better at seeing patterns in inkblots also tend report more paranormal experiences.

"Seen this way, seemingly supernatural experiences are not the result of your brain tripping up so much as the price you pay for being so amazing the rest of the time", writes Professor Wiseman [p. 307].

But instead of merely debunking paranormal claims, the author takes his analysis to a higher level by explaining how these claims can help us to better understand how the human mind works. Throughout the book, Professor Wiseman discusses psychological studies that help explain, for example, why people deceive themselves into believing that a psychic's "readings" are accurate.

Each chapter investigates a paranormal "phenomenon" such as fortune telling, out-of-body experiences, mind control (I was especially interested to learn how to avoid being brainwashed), and prophecy. Each chapter includes short "How To" guides that provide a variety of interesting optical illusions and psychological tests that the reader can try on her own. Beyond reinforcing the points being made, these guides also provide fodder for entertaining one's family and friends at parties and for winning bar bets.

Another interesting feature is the use of QRTs (Quick Response tags; pictured). When scanned with a smart phone QRT or barcode app, it automatically sends you to a specific website that, in this case, feature short videos that expand on the topic being discussed. For instance, the pictured tag sends you to this video:

For any web-savvy reader, QRTs are just a really fun innovation and they are so easy to use that it is tempting to think that they may even become a regular feature for print media. If you don't have a smart phone, you can also access the material by typing in the URL printed below each tag.

For those who wish to read more about the studies mentioned in this book, there is a notes section filled with references to the original scientific literature (unfortunately, no QRTs there, so you'll have to find the cited papers the old-fashioned way). There also is an "Instant Superhero Kit" where you can learn how to do some quirky psychological demonstrations to impress your friends and drinking pals.

Even though much of the material in this book was not new to me, I enjoyed the author's thoughtful (and sometimes playful) way of writing about the paranormal. At times, I could almost picture him winking slyly to me whilst he discussed a paranormal "phenomenon" that he was preparing to dissect. Also interesting was Professor Wiseman's conclusion, where he debunks the oft-mentioned argument that a reality-based world is devoid of "wonder". In fact, the inner workings of the human mind -- especially those that allow people to believe in the paranormal -- are more fascinating than tales of ghosts or conversing with the dead.

"To believe that the findings of supernatural science remove wonder from the world is to fail to see the remarkable events that surround us every day of our lives", writes Professor Wiseman [p. 309]. "And, unlike those who appear to talk with the dead or move objects with their minds, these amazing phenomenon are genuine."